5 talent acquisition conferences you should attend this year

Updated June 2022

Hiring has rarely been more competitive than it is today. Employees are searching for jobs that are more fulfilling, workplaces that value them, and companies that are socially engaged and inclusive, according to the World Economic Forum. If you want to attract new hires in today’s job market, you need to be competitive in all these areas and more.

Talent acquisition conferences give you the opportunity to see how your company's hiring practices measure up to those of industry leaders. You'll learn from other companies and network with your peers to better engage talent and move them quickly through your hiring funnel. Here are a few conferences to check out in the second half of 2022.

1. Talent Acquisition Week

When: July 25-29, 2022

Where: Online

Price: $275 if you purchase tickets before July 21, then $295

Recommended for: Heads of talent acquisition, recruiting, and talent operations

Conference pitch:Talent Acquisition Week 2022 will dig into sourcing, recruiting, and employer branding in a post-pandemic job market. This virtual conference will have speakers from big companies (Twitter and the Walt Disney Company) as well as leaders in acquisition tech (Beamery, Eightfold, and Gem).

Why you should attend: The conference themed its five days of programming, so attendees will have a chance to hear a broad range of perspectives and ideas on each topic. Day 1 (Talent Sourcing day) includes a talk by the Head of Talent at Strava, who will discuss how her company’s inclusive strategy helps attract a diverse candidate pool. We’re also excited for our own Viet Nguyen’’s “7 Steps to Creating an Effective Recruiting Capacity Planning Model.” Join him to learn how you can use past hiring data to keep your pipeline full, even in times of high turnover.

On day 3 (Talent Data Analytics day), you’ll get the chance to learn how metrics can support DEI hiring initiatives with the “Steps to Build Meaningful Diversity and Inclusion Analytics” panel. Day 5 (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging day) has an excellent lineup, including “Data-Driven Diversity Trends in Talent Acquisition” by the Director of D&I and VP of Customer Service at Entelo. You’ll learn how data can help you track and improve diversity through the sourcing, interviewing, hiring, and retention stages.

2. HR Technology Conference and Exposition

When: Sept. 13-16, 2022

Where: Las Vegas, NV

Price: $1,695 if you buy your tickets before July 11; prices increase monthly to a max of $2,245. Day passes are available for $1,125.

Recommended for: Heads of talent acquisition, recruiting, talent operations, and sourcing

Conference pitch: The HR Technology Conference and Expo includes demos and case studies by HR tech companies, plus an exposition with over 60 vendors. There are ten tracks, including Core HR, People Analytics, Talent Management, Employee Experience, and a pre-event Women in HR Tech summit. You can also earn SHRM, HRCO, and IRHIM recertification credits all week.

Why you should attend: The conference programming will help you learn how the latest technology can improve your hiring pipeline and candidate/employee experience. There’s a New World of Work track that includes “Great Expectations: Making Hybrid Work, Work,” in which presenters from Microsoft will share the company’s 2022 Work Trend Index. The Talent Acquisition Track has guests, like the founder of WorkTech, who will talk about the new expectations HR tech has set for hiring teams and candidates throughout the recruitment process.

Some of the tracks are unique to HR Tech, including Well-Being and Mental Health. We’re interested in “Meet Evolving Workforce Needs with Holistic Well-being Strategies,” hosted by a corporate health and wellbeing expert from Fitbit. Join Matt Risk to learn how to support remote workers with a wellness strategy that covers stress management, sleep, nutrition, and physical activity. (And by the way, Gem will be at booth 2819. Come say hi!)

3. Talent Summit 2022

When: Sept. 28-29, 2022

Where: Online

Price: Free

Recommended for: Talent Acquisition leaders and their teams

Conference pitch: If you work in Talent Acquisition, it's no secret that how teams hire has changed drastically in the last two years. Talent Summit, hosted by Gem, is here to help you anticipate what is coming next, and how to face the challenges of today head-on. We're bringing you industry leaders from innovative companies who are sharing their best practices, and lessons learned at Talent Summit 2022, the virtual conference for Talent Acquisition best practices, trends, and insights.

Why you should attend: Gem customers will gain access to exclusive how-to workshops and networking roundtables as part of Customer Day at Talent Summit. Non-customers are invited to join us for our second day for insights from Gem’s leaders plus guest speakers from Netflix, Chili Piper, the Mom Project and many more! 

 While there are numerous workshops, roundtables and sessions offered across two days at Talent Summit, here are a few that we are most excited about: 

• Roundtable for practitioners: “Sourcing & Nurturing Under the Spotlight: Learn What Candidates are Responding To and How Your Peers Have Made Successful Campaigns” 

• Workshop for TA leaders and operations professionals: “Moving the Needle: Using Data to Evolve your Diversity Recruiting Plan.”

• A session showcasing the power of Gem’s data to demonstrate how recruiting is changing: “Emerging Trends: The Rise of Rec Ops” 

• Trends and insights panel:  “Don’t Believe the Hype: What's Actually Happening in TA.” 

4. Gartner Reimagine HR

When: Oct 24-26, 2022

Where: Orlando, FL

Price: $3,425 if you purchase tickets before Aug 26, then $3,925

Recommended for: Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) and HR Execs

Conference Pitch: The Reimagine HR Conference will feature multiple industry experts from Gartner on current topics like keeping diverse workforces engaged, data-driven decision making, and fostering emotional connection in remote workplaces. There are eight tracks to help attendees ‘reimagine’ everything from talent analytics, rewards and performance, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Why you should attend: Those on the “Reimagine the Role of CHRO” track will have five full days of programming, including gems such as “Filling the Gender Gap: Innovative Approaches to Supporting Women at Work in Postpandemic U.S.” You’ll learn how to support women—especially women of color—in re-entering the workplace despite pandemic-era barriers. CHROs can also access exclusive roundtables that cover topics like flexible work environments, employee wellbeing, burnout prevention, and more.

The conference’s Reimagine Recruiting track will address the Great Resignation in “Resourcing the Recruiting Function for the High-Turnover Future.” You’ll learn how to keep up in a high-turnover workplace without demanding constant overtime from your team. We’re also excited for the Reimagine HR Tech track, which includes “Why Does Using AI Change How HR Looks at Skills?” This talk will look into how AI data can be used strategically for skills hiring, and help you create an AI strategy that will ultimately improve the employee experience.

5. Recruiting Conference & Retreat evry1 2022

When: Nov. 9-10, 2022

Where: Santa Fe, NM

Price: $450

Recommended for: Talent acquisition and recruiting professionals 

Conference pitch: evry1 aims to offer a rejuvenating two days with its 2022 Recruiting Conference & Retreat. You’ll get the chance to attend sessions and workshops with hiring experts, network with your peers, and spend time on self-care—something we all need after the past two years.

Why you should attend: This talent acquisition conference built the ‘retreat’ aspect into its programming, so it’s easy to make time for it. You can show up early to volunteer with a local nonprofit—and throughout, take advantage of perks like walk & talks with experts. 

Day one kicks off with a keynote from ExtraHop’s Sr. Director of Talent Acquisition called “Getting Better While Moving Ahead.” This presentation will address how to keep up with team training while handling the frantic hiring demands many companies are facing. Day two has a talk on “Including Introversion Within Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging,” a topic that’s sparked books and articles but little professional training. This talk aims to change that. Join Randstand’s Head of Digital Strategy to learn how to support introverts in your workplace.

Both days also have interactive workshops. We’re excited about “Refreshing Your Content with Inclusion in Mind.” The founder of Three Ears Media will help you analyze your job postings and teach writing practices that improve marginalized candidates’ response rates.

Finding a talent acquisition conference that meets your company’s needs

The best way to pick the “right” talent acquisition conference is to think about what will move the needle for your company’s hiring process.

If there’s a theme that’s come up time and again in candidate discussions or feedback—or a current practice you haven’t implemented yet—that’s a good place to focus. You can also do some self-reflection to ask how up-to-date you are with current practices, including:

• Diversity-focused sourcing and recruiting

• Advertising your company’s post-pandemic changes, including flexibility, WFH, and inclusive benefits

• Integrating HR tech to improve the candidate experience

• Gathering and analyzing data to inform your recruitment and hiring practices

You can use what you learn to pitch your attendance to your manager. Pinpoint any gaps your company has, then look to a conference’s program to find talks, panels, or workshops that specifically address those needs. Hiring has changed a lot in the past two years—and successful companies have to change as well to attract the best talent.